Gazpacho Dominates Soup Contest

Reader Exchange

Recipes Needed For August Contest

The July Monthly Mini Contest, which featured cold soups, turned into a gazpacho soup contest. We had only 10 entries, and seven were gazpacho recipes. Thanks to all who entered.

Gazpacho, a specialty of Spanish cuisine, is a cold soup that's sometimes called salad since it's made from traditional salad ingredients like fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

There are countless versions of gazpacho; we got seven very different ones. Some consist of a puree of vegetables, while others are chunky. In addition to the vegetables mentioned, gazpacho might include celery, avocado, hot peppers, lime juice, hard-boiled egg whites, bread or croutons. It may be seasoned with herbs as diverse as dill, basil, parsley or oregano.

The winning recipe is a delicious, chunky version entered by James Keenan of Williamsburg. Keenan says he's been compiling this recipe for more than 20 years from his experience in the restaurant business. He is a gourmet cook and prefers gazpacho made by hand rather than with the blender.

Keenan says one of the secrets of a tasty gazpacho is using a good tomato juice for the base. He suggests Sacramento brand, which can be found in most local supermarkets.

The avocado in Keenan's gazpacho adds a creamy texture to the otherwise crunchy soup. The addition of white wine and lemon juice gives his "salad soup" a more complex, slightly tart flavor. You can prepare this easy-to-make soup a day or so beforehand if you add the avocado just before serving; otherwise, the avocado will turn brown.

Homemade croutons would be delicious with this soup. Thin lemon slices are a traditional garnish.

Someone once asked me for a pepperless version of gazpacho. This recipe for Golden Gazpacho from `The Gourmet Gazelle Cookbook" (1989, Bantam Books) fits the bill. It has a unique, sweet-sharp flavor that is unusual and appealing. It's a good way to use the garden bounty of cantaloupes.

***

GOLDEN GAZPACHO

1 large or 2 small ripe cantaloupes, peeled, seeded and diced (4 cups)

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced

8 scallions, white part only

2/3 cup sherry vinegar

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Serve in chilled soup bowls. Serves 6.

Note: The soup can be prepared up to two days in advance. Cantaloupes soften after picking; however, they do not ripen any further. To select a sweet, juicy fruit, look for a rough, well-netted surface and a smoothly rounded, depressed scar at the stem end.

The pale orange color comes from carotene, which makes cantaloupe a good source of vitamin A. Half a cantaloupe provides 100 percent of the RDA of vitamin C and only 60 calories.

Send your recipes or recipe requests to Reader exchange, Features Department, MP 1203, 7505 Warwick Blvd., Newport News 23607. Please include your full name and daytime phone number for recipe validation. Recipes WILL NOT be printed without this information.